"Apple Vision Pro" is unbeatable when it comes to mixed reality

 

   Image : Apple Vision Pro

One of my initial impressions of Apple's mixed-reality Vision Pro headsets on Monday was, Man, that thing looks weird.

It wasn't just me. The reception of the Vision Pro was less than favorable on social media. Skeptics made fun of the gadget's goggle-like design for snowboarding, its $3,500 price tag, and Apple's grand claims that it would usher in the "spatial computing" era. Wall-E the Robot and Twitter memes about people viewing pornography in virtual reality have been compared. I understand. Since I've been skeptical of virtual reality for so long, even as headset quality has increased, I've often pondered why the technology hasn't become more widely used. Mark Zuckerberg's pitch for the metaverse always gave me the creeps; it seemed more like "personal conquest" than "actual market demand." And if you had asked me before Monday's announcement if I believed Apple's mixed-reality headset marked the start of a vast, tectonic platform shift akin to the introduction of the first iPhone, I would have responded negatively. 

However, after watching Apple demonstrate the Vision Pro on Monday and reading the overwhelmingly favorable user reviews, it could be a big deal and even the first indication of a ground-breaking new computing platform.

Numerous factors could cause Vision Pro to fail. It might be overpriced, unattractive, or isolating. It's easier to persuade developers to create good, practical smartphone apps than to convince them to develop apps for a device you have to strap to your head and a market that has never materialized significantly. And Apple might discover the same thing Meta has discovered with its forays into productivity-based virtual reality apps: that only some people are interested in reading their emails in virtual reality.

However, I need to consider the possibility that the Vision Pro might become popular despite its drawbacks, such as the requirement to carry a connected battery pack.
Is it pricey? Yes. The "Pro" in the name suggests that a less expensive, more consumer-focused model may be on the way, but many first-generation gadgets are the same way.

Is using it exciting and impressive? Although they haven't had much experience with it and are a reasonably excitable group, early testers believe this. The devices' effectiveness will be tested once they are delivered to customers (early next year, according to Apple) and users begin integrating them into their daily routines.

I'll admit that some of the tech columnist's PTSD has kept me open-minded toward Vision Pro. Before the initial Apple Watch was released in 2013, I confidently stated in a column that smartwatches were a bad idea. I boldly declared, "Apple would be crazy to invest heavily in a product category that I couldn't imagine resonating beyond young, wealthy Silicon Valley nerds." I made fun of their appearance and dismissed them as expensive toys. (Apple sells an estimated 40 million watches each year, making it the No. 1 watch brand in the world. I do, as do a lot of my family and friends.)

My prediction about the Apple Watch was incredibly, hilariously incorrect for a few reasons.
I first misjudged Apple's capacity to broaden markets and transform niche product categories into mainstream ones. I concluded that the Apple Watch would be a manageable hit because other smartwatches were available in 2013, and none had been huge successes. Looking at the bulky, ugly design of existing smartwatches, I concluded that the types of people willing to wear them on their wrists every day — nerds like me — weren't a big enough market to matter. But I should have kept in mind that Apple is Apple, and it has repeatedly shown that it can transform a niche product for nerds into a desirable item for everyone.

That is evidence of the business' renowned products and marketing skills. And that's part of why I'm hesitant to write off the chances of the Vision Pro. Yes, there are excellent virtual reality, mixed reality headsets, and some good apps. But unlike Vision Pro, which will be fully integrated into the Apple ecosystem, Apple does not produce those headsets. A mixed-reality headset's ability to instantly access your iPhone contacts, iMessages, and iOS settings could make the difference between using it regularly and tossing it into a closet after a few weeks.

I also made the mistake of forgetting that human behavior is not fixed and that our perceptions of what is fashionable and socially acceptable change constantly in response to new technologies, including the Apple Watch in 2013.

I was responding at the time in part to a social norm. It might have been considered impolite to look at your watch during a business meeting or family dinner. However, ten years later, that behavior doesn't seem inappropriate (at least to me), as so many people now own Apple Watches that new social norms have emerged around them.

We now assume that those who check their watches during dinner are likely attempting to avoid reaching for their phones, which would be more impolite and disruptive. In other words, the taboo was eradicated by mass adoption.

Mixed reality headsets run the risk of experiencing the same thing. Yes, you might feel uncomfortable wearing a Vision Pro today. However, in a few years, it might not seem as ridiculous if a third of your coworkers participate in Zoom calls using their headsets and you notice people watching virtual reality movies on every flight you take.

Apple has a reputation for entering a market at the ideal time. The first smartphone with a touch screen wasn't the iPhone in 2007. The first tablet wasn't the iPad. But in both instances, the business added excitement and sexual appeal to goods that lacked them before. Apple lets other companies make costly errors while concentrating on building a fantastic product.

Apple and the Vision Pro might experience the same thing. Learning from the shortcomings of earlier devices like Google Glass, Meta, and Magic Leap, other businesses have invested billions of dollars in fundamental research and development for virtual and mixed-reality headsets. Numerous device components have been improved, increasing the appeal of the headsets. However, they have yet to have a big commercial success.

It could be because virtual and augmented reality are fundamentally flawed concepts, and the market for these gadgets will likely remain small. But Apple's arrival was all that the market needed. Don't say I didn't warn you if you're reading this in a few years on your Vision Pro or an Apple device glued to your corneas.